As many of you have heard or read, issues around the state’s budget have not yet been resolved. The primary problem is that the Senate and the House Republicans are unwilling to issue $1.2 billion in additional debt and raise an additional $280 million in taxes. We are simply not in a position to increase our debt load.

Though Matt Wright warns the Henry County Ladycats are not where they need to be yet, he said they were able to put together their first “complete game” last Thursday night as they beat Carroll County 14-0 for a 4-0 start to the softball season.

William Joseph Welty Sr., has joined United Citizens Bank as a new director. Welty, a Carrollton resident, was raised in Trimble County where he also attended high school. He also attended Georgetown College.

Previously, he was the owner of Welty Enterprise Inc., worked at Rotary Lift, served in the U.S. Army reserves, and owned apartments, a restaurant and a donut shop.

March Madness came to a finish on Monday night and, in the end, after the teams dwindled down to just two, it wasn’t decided until the final shot of the tournament.

It was a fitting way to end this men’s NCAA basketball season, although the team most of America was rooting for came up one basket short of that Hollywood ending everyone seemed to be hoping for. Duke’s win wasn’t secured until Butler’s final shot was barely off target, allowing Duke to celebrate a 61-59 championship win.

For the first time in five years, the Eminence softball team started the season with a win and won two games in the opening week. It was just the start first-year head coach Bill Covington was looking for.

The Lady Warriors beat Kentucky Country Day (13-6) last Wednesday night, lost to Waggener (23-11) on Thursday and beat Whitefield Academy (14-4) on Saturday for a 2-1 record after week one. It was the best start since 2005 when the Warriors were 2-0 through the first week and finished with a 6-13 overall record.